You Give Me Chills
by ForPony39
Summary: Emma hasn't seen Hook in a day or two after he took care of her while ill, figuring that's not at all like the pirate she looks for him and finds him in a bit of similar trouble. Sequel to "You give me fever"
1. Chapter 1

**And so we begin again! damn you captain swan for invading my life with feels! I never even used the word 'feels' until you two came along! had fun writing this, enjoy!**

...

Personally the first day that Hook left her alone after the whole fever incident was a relief, because the awkward conversation she'd had with Snow when she'd barrelled into her room the night after her fever, demanding to know why they had just run into a shirtless Hook escaping from her apartment - Dear. God.

If she'd had to look at Hook the day after that her head may have exploded. Emma had faced some scary things in her life - but that conversation had been by far the most horrifying. _This is not happening, this is not happening _had been running through her mind on repeat the whole time.

Snow had tried to give her "the talk."

Yeah that one.

* * *

"_I understand, hormones run high and they can fog up the mind, blot out reason-"_

"_Nothing was foggy, there were no high running hormones!"_

"_-Sometimes they just take hold, it's like temporary insanity-"_

"_I'm 28 and have a kid Snow! I'm not a horny teenager!" _

"… _did you use protection?"_

"_I DID NOT BANG HOOK ALRIGHT!?"_

* * *

And that was the least embarrassing part of the conversation that took place.

Then David joined in the fun as he'd apparently been occupied chasing Hook in an attempt to kill him.

* * *

"_Emma what happened?" he demanded out of breath "Why was Hook here? Shirtless!?"_

_He pointed a finger at her "Grounded, soooooo grounded!"_

"_Why is everyone coming in my room!?" Emma nearly yelled in exasperation "And for god sakes I'm an _adult _David!"_

_That snarled response chastened him for about three or four seconds. "Ok everyone out please, I need to get dressed now" Emma huffed, not thinking that sentence through._

* * *

So it was about there where he tried to convince her he needed her gun.

Eventually she got it through to Snow and David that nothing had happened between her and Hook and filled them in on what _had_ happened. Both were shocked by how aggressively sick she had become and unsure of how to react to Captain Hook being her savior.

* * *

"_I'm just glad you're ok" Snow said, hugging her. Emma sighed with a small smile and hugged her back, it was kind of nice having people who cared. _

_That had ended better than -"I'm going to yell at you now" Snow warned Emma with an eerie calm, still hugging her "prepare yourself."_

"_So close" Emma whispered to the ceiling before closing her eyes tightly…_

* * *

So the yelling of how she was stupid for not calling for help ended eventually, because there is justice in the world, and Hook had taken a break it seemed from annoying the crap out of her - maybe he was afraid David was still on the war path.

Cause yeah, he was.

However on the second day Emma got a… hinky feeling. She waited for him to ambush her as she went around town doing her sheriff duties, but he didn't.

She'd never admit it to anyone (she'd barely admit it to herself) but she kinda sorta noticed that through out the day and into the evening when he still hadn't come by, she might have been missing him a little. Maybe.

That and she knew him, homicidal David would just make tempting to visit her more thrilling for him - he was trouble like that. So where was he?

She waited expectantly, doing paper work at the station, for him to round the corner with that big shit eating grin of his saying something clever and flirty.

But he never came.

Most people would have been thinking _finally, he took the hint._

Emma's first though was _what is that pirate up to?_

Cause Hook didn't take hints if those hints were telling him no - one of the reasons she thought of punching him daily.

She tried to focus on her paper work, with Henry at Regina's for the night Emma figured she was allowed to work late if she wanted to.

Around nine she couldn't take it anymore. She put her pen down in a bit of a huff and slipped her coat on - she was going to go find him.

Her instincts said marina so that's where she started, but she didn't see the jolly roger.

Of course not - Hook wouldn't stay in the marina.

She found his ship down the main stretch of pathetic beach line down from the marina, pulled up on the rocks.

_Ooo what a rebel _she thought sarcastically.

"Hook!" Emma yelled, breath clouding on the air while she stood next to the bow of the ship that towered over her. She pointed her flash light up so any face that peered over the edge would be illuminated immediately.

No one answered her.

"You're really going to make me climb onto your damn ship aren't you" she called again.

The fact that no innuendo greeted her from over the edge of the ship made her frown.

There was a rope and a few planks that she supposed he used as footholds when getting onto this damn thing. Emma stuffed her flashlight into her pocket, grabbed the rope and started the climb. She wondered how the hell he did this with one hand, hell having two with mittens on was proving a bit of a challenge.

Her feet hit the deck and she stood there for a minute getting her bearings. Emma fumbled for her flash light until she turned the beam on and swept it around the ship, finding it rather eerily abandoned.

It was possible he actually wasn't here… but for some reason Emma couldn't make herself leave that easily. Something was up…

"Hook!" she called again

She heard a muffled cough.

Emma looked in the general direction of the sound and spotted a door that she assumed lead below deck.

Well it did when she opened it (finding it no warmer then the outside of the ship) at first but a few steps in there was another door to her left where she heard another muffled cough.

She opened the door slowly, entering the room with caution though she was unsure of why. Her light revealed the room to be the Captains quarters, or what she assumed was the Captains quarters - it was a bit grand to be anything else. It was a long room that spanned just as wide a window that the night pressed against, but promised to let in a fair amount of light when the sun rose, a medium sized wooden desk that was a deep rich dark brown with a few maps spread open on it.

Also there was an unlit fireplace with a few things displayed on the mantle. Emma didn't bother to examine them and continued to explore the quarters with her light until she saw a bed directly across from the door and the fire place.

The shape of a man was under a few blankets, a cloud of warmth breath rising from the

sheet tussled shape.

"Killian?"

Emma went hastily to the bed, rolling him over to look at her with flash light pointed to illuminate his features.

His brow was beaded with a cold sweat, face drawn as his teeth chattered and his eyes closed.

Oh damn it.

"Killian wake up" she said shaking his shoulder. His eyes remained shut and Emma cursed.

Looked like she'd passed whatever had knocked her on her ass to him.

Which was probably why she hadn't seen him for two days.

"Come on Killian wake up" she prodded gently, touching his face and finding his skin clammy.

"It's me, Emma"

The puckering of his brow eased a little but that was it, teeth still chattering as he tried to hug his blanket to him tighter to conserve what little warmth he was holding onto. He was not doing well, she needed to get him out of here. It took her a second to realize how difficult that would be. There was no way she could get an unconscious pirate off his ship and into her car - she was going to have to take the reigns on this one, here on the ship.

This place was freezing and so was he - she had to get him warm.

She got up and went to the fire place, pulling out the lighter that she always carried in her pocket just in case - it was always good to carry a lighter.

Emma quickly set to work getting the fire going, lighting a few of the oil lamps that were placed around the room for light first. She found some wood beside the fireplace and piled it together with a handful of the kindling she scraped off the floor. She lit a receipt that was in her pocket and stuffed it into a nook of the wood, blowing gently until it took hold on its own and started to burn.

While the fire started to get a grip on the bits of kindling and wood she looked back at Hook when he started coughing again. She had to do something while this damn fire took it's sweet time to get burning and throw the heat he needed. She saw him shivering, trying to generate some of his warmth and made her mind up on the spot.

"Ok, I'm not waiting for this god damn fire to get going" she spat at the fireplace in frustration.

She walked back over to the bed, taking off her gloves and stripping out of her jacket.

"You need to warm up now" she informed him unbuttoning her shirt half way down "I'm sure you'd approve of the method I'm about to use"

She hesitated a second, just looking at him lying there. "If you wake up and make _one _comment so help me…" she muttered, mostly to herself as she lifted the blanket up and crawled in with him.

She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him into her, his face at the crook of her neck. She took his hook off to avoid being stabbed by it, putting it on the floor and moving his hand on her stomach under her shirt to warm it quicker.

His fingers felt like ice against her skin, even the sweat on his forehead was cold and made her gasp.

One arm rubbed his arm and back as she tried to get him warmer, realizing only then how thin his black shirt was (Seriously, was that the only color he wore?)

The other hand cradled the back of his head, keeping the cool of his cheek pressed against her collar bone. Skin to skin contact was best when trying to warm someone up, which was why this was so dangerous of course - it brought… a lot of intimacy into the equation.

Her only comforts were that he was unconscious right now and the cold of his skin on hers was uncomfortable at best. His shivering eased bit by bit, minute by minute as his muscles started to relax, each breath started to come easier than the last as it fluttered against the skin of Emma's neck (it was sending a strange sensation through her…)

She couldn't see his whole face but what she could see (his lips) when she rolled her eyes down was that his mouth was less strained, relaxing.

His hand felt less like ice on the skin of her stomach after another few minutes, borrowing her warmth. She sighed, relieved by the progress "and you give me crap about not calling anyone?" Emma commented sarcastically.

Hook stirred a bit in her arms and for a moment she thought he was waking. Then his hand moved, sliding over her skin around to the low of her back and pulled her closer against him, eyes still closed as his face nuzzled nearer to her neck, lips almost grazing her collar bone now.

Emma had to bite back something akin to a yip, heart racing so fast all she could hear was her blood pumping. "K-Killian?" she stuttered, unsure if he was awake or not.

He didn't respond, holding Emma close who was effectively frozen in place for lack of a better word. "You awake?" she asked uncertainly, hint of a warning in her voice.

Just the gentle rhythm of his breath caressing her neck met her query.

She stayed like that for what felt like a long time and at the same time none at all, unsure what to do, trying to hear something past the fluttering of her heart. (It could cut that crap out any time now.)

"…I never know how to feel around you" she confessed in a whisper, glad he didn't hear it. She was unsure why she even said it out loud.

After another minute her speeding heart slowed just enough to stop deafening her with it's every beat and the crackling of the fire got her attention. Emma pulled back from Hook a bit and turned her head to look at the flames that had finally taken hold of the wood and kindle and were dancing over the log now, throwing light and heat.

She should probably get him closer to it, maybe make a place for him to lay in front of it.

His blankets were seriously crap though, they would be like laying him on tissue and hold not heat - pointless. And probably uncomfortable.

_Should use the blanket I got in the car _Emma thought…

She felt his hand moving again, out from under her shirt and going lower to her butt.

"Hook!" she hissed, pulling his hand away and moving back enough to glare at him.

However his eyes were still closed and he looked as undisturbed as ever.

She studied him suspiciously for a moment before rolling her eyes as she heard a light snore from him.

"Congratulations, even in your sleep you're a lecherous bastard" she said shaking her head and dropping his wandering hand away from her.

Emma flinched when he coughed again. It was a quiet yet rough and almost painful sound, Hook's expression showing some discomfort.

She didn't like that.

Emma carefully pulled herself out of his hold, not too difficult though he did seem a tad reluctant to let go and got up.

She re-wrapped the blankets tightly around him as she did up her shirt and slipped her coat on, doing the zipper up with a glance at Hook's sleeping face - noticing the discontented wrinkle between his eyebrows.

"I'll be right back Killian" she promised him.

Why did she talk to him when he was unconscious?

She looked back at him, reluctant to leave him there so damn ill.

She consoled herself by telling herself she was coming back - if she was going to repay this favour she'd do it right damn it.

She left quickly, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Only then did Killian half open his eyes.

"What a lovely dream" he murmured, shivering a bit now that she was gone. At least the fire was throwing enough heat to stave off a little more of the cold. The lamps lit up the rest of his quarters in an almost surreal way to his blurry eyes, had he lit those?

_Was it a dream? _He wondered further, frowning - she'd felt so real under his hand and in his arms, the scent of her skin had been so vivid and intoxicating.

It had left him warmer when he'd felt like he was going to freeze to death, feeling returning to his fingertips. And had he felt something extraordinary. He chuckled to himself at that, causing him to cough painfully again. If it was a dream he hoped it would resume, if it wasn't…

"_I never know how to feel around you"_

Either way he wouldn't be forgetting it.

"Hurry back Swan" he said, eye's closing against his will again.

...

**Thanks for reading everyone! Not sure if I'll be any good at writing a sick Hook but I love a challenge so I guess we'll find out :D take care!**


	2. Chapter 2

When Emma returned twenty minutes later she had three blankets, a bottle of cough syrup, two Thermoses full of Granny's chicken soup, a carton of orange juice, ibuprofen and a jug of water. Took two trips to get it all up too - Killian needed to find an easier way onto his god damn boat. The place had warmed up nicely she noticed as she dropped all her supplies by the door. First thing she did was focus on arranging a place for Hook on the floor near the fire to keep him warm.

She could see he had resumed his shivering even though it was reasonably warm in the cabin. She knew how the chills were, he probably could have been wearing a couple of sweaters and he'd still feel cold. But much like how the fever had been intense for Emma it appeared the chills were on the same severity for Killian.

She finished arrange the blankets, not to far and not to close to the fire before going up to fetch the pirate.

She didn't think she could carry him, he'd have to be at the very least semi-conscious.

Emma began gently shaking his shoulder.

"Come on Killian open your eyes" she said softly.

Killian groaned but his eyes remained closed.

Pale, lips dry and cracked, poor guy looked a mess. She continued trying to gently coax him awake but became more and more worried when she still couldn't get him to open his eyes.

She pressed her palm to his cheek and was alarmed by how cool his skin was on hers.

She'll admit it - she had no idea where the next words seem to burst out from but in her defence she was getting really worried.

_So... _

"Killian I just took my shirt off, are you really going to miss this?"

_Yeah…_

She watched his face hopefully, and at first nothing happened

Then a few minutes that felt much longer then normal his eyes peeled halfway open. She put both hand on either side of his face, looking into the his veiled blue eyes.

She actually laughed, both slightly relieved and exasperated.

"Seriously - _that's _what gets you to open your eyes? My god man"

He mumbled something then and she was pretty sure it was her name.

"Yeah Killian it's me - we need to get you closer to the fire, can you sit up?" she asked.

He managed to half smile at her and reached up, brushing his hand against her cheek and making her jump a little t the touch.

He muttered something again but she couldn't make it out.

"What?" she asked, leaning closer to better hear him.

"Shrtz still awn" he complained, a bit of laughter in his voice.

"Jesus chr- sit up Hook" Emma huffed, putting her hand behind his neck.

"Ready? One, two, three" she pulled him up upright while he helped as much as he could.

The effort seemed to cost him a lot as he rest his head on her shoulder, Emma's arm on his back giving him enough support to stay upright.

Emma didn't realize it but her hand rubbing comforting little circles into his back as he leaned his weight against her.

* * *

He couldn't believe how weak he felt even in this dream, he barely had the strength of new born kitten - he was so tired, his mouth felt like he'd been eating cotton and his joints ached. Just sitting up felt like a gargantuan feat.

Emma held him up, letting him rest. She felt so real, so warm - so genuine.

The fog in his brain seemed to pull back just enough for him to wonder if he was dreaming at all…

* * *

_Wow, Just him sitting up took a lot out of him_ Emma saw as he seemed to try and regroup a bit. No wonder he'd just laid here as it got colder and colder. She was immensely glad she'd decided to come looking for him - god knows what might have happened if she'd delayed.

"Almost there" she said glancing a bit sceptically at what now looked an impossible distance to the nest of blankets.

He sighed something against her neck, she would have missed it if he hadn't said it so close to her ear.

"Don't think you can?" she repeated back "That doesn't sound like the Killian we know and love."

She nearly swallowed her tongue - had she just said that?

"Besides I thought you never turned down a challenge?" she said quickly to move past what she'd just said, peeling the blankets back and off him.

She stood up, maintaining a hold of him with one hand to keep him up right, using the other to pull his legs over the side of the bed.

She sat down beside him and put his one arm over her shoulders, his chin resting against his chest and eyes looking as if he'd closed them again.

"We're almost there, come on you can do it" Emma encouraged, slipping her other arm around his waist in preperation to take more of his weight.

"On three, ok?"

Hook seemed to force his eyes open, lifting his head just enough to look at the goal.

"Onetwothree" Emma said in one breath, standing and pulling Hook up with her.

One shaky step forward, two steps forward -

She had to carry most of his weight but Hook took each step with determination and it made her smile a little - never turn down a challenge indeed.

He stumbled and she caught him, pulling him tighter to her as they both swayed on the spot so she could keep them both standing.

"Are we… dancing Swan?" he whispered, pausing between breaths. She swore to god she saw him wink in the corner of her eye.

"Maybe another time Killian" she said, sounding amused "When you can stand"

"Hold you… too it" he promised, wearing the ghost of his usual grin.

"Course you will" Emma nodded, readjusting his arm and unintentionally causing his hand to rest on her -

"Hook - hand, handhandhand!"

He moved his hand off her, umm, chest. A bit too slowly she noticed.

She was pretty sure she heard him chuckle.

"I'll beat a sick man Hook, don't tempt me" Emma growled.

They made it there just as he started to cough again.

The coughing seemed to take what little strength he'd mustered into the feat of getting closer to the fire.

His knee's buckled under him and it took every ounce of strength and finesse Emma had to gently lower him down to a sitting position - doing her damndest not to collapse on top of him.

"God - I really don't like that cough" Emma said as his shoulders shook with every violent hack, staying up right with Emma's help. Good thing she'd gotten some really good cough syrup.

"You made it" Emma congratulated him, catching her breath while she wrapped one of the blankets around his shoulders, "Knew you could do it" she told him as his eyes closed again, nodding off even while sitting upright.

She knew he was dehydrated by the state of his lips alone, she wasn't prepared to let him sleep yet. "Ha, not getting off that easy" she said lightly tapping his cheek to wake him while putting her hand under his chin and lifting his face to look at him.

His eyes opened again, managing to looking annoyed.

"Yes, I know you're tired" Emma acknowledged as she leaned away from him and towards the door, snagging the supplies she brought with her fingertips and pulling them closer.

"But I need to get some fluids in you or you're going to get worse"

He coughed in response, so hard it made Emma flinch.

Her priorities changed on the spot.

Her hand searched blindly through the things she'd brought until it closed on what she was looking for.

Emma pulled out the cough syrup, letting Killian lean against her while she started to unscrew the lid.

"You're not going to like this" she said pouring a capful of the thick purple liquid.

"But to be fair no one likes this so too bad" she shrugged.

"Consider it penance for being pain in the ass" Emma smirked.

She gently pushed him back so she could pour the medicine down his throat - though she had to wait for that awful cough that shook his very frame to stop.

"This'll help - promise" Emma told him.

As soon as it touched his tongue his face screwed up like she was making him suck a lemon and he was about to spit it out.

"No, no, no Killian you need to drink it"

His eyes opened to see the almost pleading look on her face. For a moment the cloudy 'I'm not entirely sure any of this is happening' look in his eyes cleared and it was like he knew she was really there. She saw the visible effort it took but he swallowed.

She sighed before smiling "not so bad right?"

"Awful" he corrected, face still pinched with disgust.

"Your pirate moonshine is the equivalent of drain cleaner and you complain about cough syrup?" Emma laughed as she laid him down into the blankets, pulling them around him as he spoke.

"Are you sayin you'll hava drink wit me?" he slurred.

It appears she'd lost him in the fog of chills again.

She couldn't help but smile, not matter how sick apparently - Killian would always be Killian. Emma let him rest for a few minutes, marvelling at how quickly the cough syrup worked it's magic as the violence of each cough lessened. She decided she should try to get the water in him now as she reached into the plastic bag again and pulled out the water jug, pouring it into a large cup she'd brought along.

She stopped when she realized he was trying to say something to her again.

"What?"

He said it again a little louder but it still eluded her so she leaned over him to hear him.

That's when he reached up and tapped his finger on the end of her nose.

"Boop"

Emma blinked, stunned as Hook smiled somewhat goofily at her, eyes barely open.

"Did you just… yeah you did. No more cough syrup for you" Emma sighed, putting her hand under his head and lifting him up to meet the rim of the cup, slowly helping him drink.

His hand came up as soon as the water touched his lips, trying to tilt the cup up more.

"Whoa, whoa" Emma said pulling the cup back "Easy, don't want you to choke"

"T-thristy" a violent shiver made the statement almost a plea and Emma was surprised at how it tore at her to hear it.

"I know, I know - just drink slow" she said, tilting the cup back to his lips.

"You're gonna be ok" she reassured him.

Four cups later Emma laid his head down, pleased by the progress.

She brushed the hair out of his face as his eyes closed again, his shivering had ceased and the warmth of the fire seemed to be doing him a great deal of good.

As she watched him sleep she realized what she was doing.

Why was she wearing a crooked smile?

Why was she still stroking his hair?

If he'd been awake, if he hadn't been sick she'd have made herself stop instantly.

But he was sick and he was asleep - and this once she couldn't see the harm in it.

She looked at the fire and watched the flames dance as she sat by his side, keeping silent vigil over Captain Hook.

Little did she know that Killian wasn't asleep.

He kept his eyes closed, half awake and mind clearing bit by bit with the fire warming him and the water re-hydrating him. He felt Emma's hand smoothing his hair from his face in a comforting rhythm. Even if he'd had the strength to open his eyes again he wouldn't have no mater how tempting it was to see her face. So very guarded his Emma swan - she only revealed herself when no one was looking.

_This is not a dream_ he thought, almost smiling as he drifted off.

...

**Not gonna lie, this chapter... irks me, but every time I tried to rewrite it this pretty much kept happening - I hope it does not irk you guys as well. as always thank you for the wonderful comments so far! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everybody - I'm baaaaaaaack! sorry for the long wait for this bit but the muses have not been kind, I just couldn't write and what I was writing was abysmal - but finally, FINALLY I got back into the flow of things and finished this damn chapter, a bit different then previous chapters but I hope that it satisfies :)** **Enjoy!**

...

Hook woke to the sound of the fire being prodded and the flames crackling with glee. He kept his eyes closed for a few more minutes as everything came back to him, most of it with a forgetful dream like quality. If he opened his eyes and Emma was sitting there - none of it was a dream.

Carefully he pried his eyelids open and there she was, staring into the fire, using the poker to shift the remains of the log around as the embers glowed softly.

She looked like she hadn't shifted from his side for however long he'd been asleep, her mind however appeared to be far away while her eyes reflected the dancing flames.

He took in the fact that he was wrapped in blankets that weren't his, meaning she must have brought them. He took in the sight of her whilst she was unaware that he'd woken. A strange sight, seeing her so… unguarded.

She glanced at him a moment later and looked surprised to see him looking back.

"Well look at that - it lives" Emma said with the hint of a smile "How are you feeling?"

Hook nearly broke out into a grin - genuine concern from the Swan girl - who knew?

He opened his mouth to tease her about it but as he tried he felt as if the words he tried to make were scorching his throat.

Emma saw this on his face and was immediately searching through a plastic bag she had near her.

"Yeah I figured you'd have a little trouble with that whole 'talking' thing" she told him as he very carefully managed to sit himself up, arms trembling with the effort.

"You kind of sounded like you had boulders in your chest earlier" she told as she turned back with a box of something in her hands.

"Hey, hey - easy!" she said, catching his shoulder to keep him upright as his one arm decided it wasn't up to sitting him up and gave under his weight. She leaned his back against his desk - seems she'd pulled it from it's spot by the window for him to rest upright against (how had he not woken at the sound of her dragging the damn thing?)

"You've had a hell of a night" she told him, looking him over while the desk kept him propped up.

_And I remember all of it - though you don't need to know that _he thought to himself while she focused on popping a little yellow tablet from a tin wrapped package.

She offered it to him, holding out her hand where it rested in the middle of her palm.

Hook looked at the little yellow ball and then back to Emma.

Emma took the expression on his face to mean _what the hell is that?_

"It's a lozenge" she said.

"…"

"It's medicine candy - it'll make your throat feel better" she explained further at the prompting of his blank look.

Hook took another glance at the 'medicine candy'

Then back to her one more time, eyes holding a mischievous look as he opened his mouth.

It took Emma a second to realize he wanted _her _to put it in his mouth.

"Seriously" she answered in a flat deadpan voice, one eyebrow arched. Killian fluttered his eyelashes at her.

"Haha - no."

Hook closed his mouth and shrugged, as if he didn't really need it. They both knew he did.

"Fine" she said with a blasé shrug

_Fine _his eyes seemed to say, appearing amused.

Then he coughed, it wasn't as bad as it had been before but it was enough to send bolts of pain across his face as it tore at his tender throat.

Emma rolled her eyes "Open up jackass" she hissed.

Hook happily obliged as Emma picked the lozenge up thumb and forefinger and made to put it on his tongue

"Don't swallow, just suck on it" she instructed as she dropped it into his mouth.

She made to pull back but Hook caught her by the wrist as his lips closed around her forefinger, eyes locking with hers in a way that made Emma freeze as her heart suddenly went into overdrive, pumping all the blood to her face and every nerve in her body seemed to come alive all at once.

Then her brain seemed to get some of that blood flow and she pulled her arm back fast to pull her finger out from between the softness of his lips, flustered.

Hook's smile matched the mischievousness in his eyes.

Emma fixed him with a scowl, the she reached out and pinched his shoulder - the next best thing to hitting him.

"Ow!" he rasped, ironically making his throat hurt as well.

"Fair warning," she all but growled "When you're better - you have an ass kicking waiting for you"

Hook pouted his lower lip out - _Not nice_

"I'm not a very nice person" she told him, putting the box of lozenges back in the plastic bag filled with the supplies she'd brought to care for him.

Hook eyes went from the bag to her as he sucked on the lemon flavoured candy, already feeling the cool numbing effects on his throat, one eyebrow raised.

"Clearly" he said hoarsely.

"I liked you better when you were asleep"

* * *

The lemon lozenge did it's work well, taking the pain away though his voice was still scratchy.

Emma made him drink some more water, then she heard his stomach growl loudly.

Hook's hand rested on his stomach for a moment at the sound of his body crying out at the hollowness in his gut. How long had it been since he'd eaten?

"Was that you or did you swallow an angry bear before I found you?" Emma laughed,

Hook looked surprised by the sound before smiling back, watching curiously as she poured something steaming from one of the Thermoses into a bowl.

"Granny's famous chicken soup" Emma said, offering it to him.

"I'm not sure what the pirate remedy for the flu - what are you doing?" she asked as Hook reached towards the fireplace, hand sneaking into a nook Emma hadn't seen and pulling out a bottle with a cork stopper.

He removed the cork with his teeth and attempted to pour the contents into the soup.

Emma pulled the bowl back protectively.

"What is that?" she demanded, looking at the bottle suspiciously.

Then she smelt it.

"Is that _rum_?" she asked incredulously. Hook blinked at her before shrugging

"Pirate remedy" he whispered, spitting the cork away from him.

Emma just stared at him for a minute

"Are you loose?" she asked at last.

He gave her a look that said he clearly didn't see what the problem was.

"Lets hold off on the sauce, ok?" Emma said, snatching the bottle out of his hand

"Here we just eat the soup" she told him offering him the bowl again.

He took the bowl from her but as soon as she let go he looked in danger of spilling it, hand shaking. She watched him try to bring the rim of the bowl to his mouth from the corner of her eye, pretending to busy herself with something in the bag.

Strangely she found she was trying not to embarrass him by noticing.

Hook got close a few times but every time he did his hand would tremble and he would almost spill it. The longer he held it while Emma fussed with the bag the more he felt he would drop it and it frustrated him.

Hungry but strength still so low he couldn't get the bowl to his lips - he felt like throwing the damn thing across the room.

That's when Emma's hand touched his, a cool silk like touch that helped him to steady the bowl.

He glared at her as if to say _I can do it_

"I'm sure you can _Captain Hook_" she replied, putting extra emphasis on his moniker. In response his expression came across as a mixture of sarcastic and petulant.

"But just this once lets do this the easy way" she said as she helped him bring the bowl up to his mouth.

"I've been this kinda sick once or twice myself over the years" Emma began, steadying his hand while he poured the bowls contents back.

"One time I was so wiped from a flu, I couldn't even move let alone get up to leave the bathroom for the first day" she chuckled, "I was the poster child of pathetic" she joked.

Killian's eyes never left her face as she spoke and the hot soup warmed him down to his toes - he didn't think he'd ever heard her talk about her past, even a tidbit like this one of her own accord.

"Had to sleep for sixteen hours on the tile floor before I had the strength to get my feet under me" she continued, pulling the bowl back.

Emma was surprised to find it empty.

"Jesus Killian did you even taste it?"

He licked his lips in a slow sensual manner and winked in response.

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile that turned up the corner of her lips, opening the thermos once more and refilling the bowl. She noticed he was still looking at her, as if encouraging her to continue the story.

"Not much to tell after that but I'd have killed for someone to bring me soup, or you know - shoot me and put me out of my misery"

He quirked his eyebrow questioningly.

"No one?" he said, voice sounding just a little less sand papery.

"… Lets try to make this bowl last longer than eight seconds shall we?" Emma smirked, neatly avoiding the question as she seemed to summon a plastic spoon out of thin air.

* * *

She helped him eat the second bowl while he seemed to prompt her into conversation with simple looks and few words.

He was either very expressive or Emma was becoming very good at reading him.

At one point he somehow got her talking about the past again.

"Maybe I should have been a nurse instead of a bounty hunter" she said as she watched him chew a bit before swallowing another mouthful.

He perked up a bit at this "Bounty hunter?" he managed to rasp.

"Before I came here" she said carefully - why was she telling him all these things?

"Explains a lot" he nodded

"The hell does that mean?" she asked, perhaps it was the sickness but Hook could almost swear he heard a note of playfulness in her voice.

His big blue eyes were wide and innocent like the flip of a light switch - _nothing. _

"Bullshit, tell me" she prodded at his non-verbal answer.

He fluttered his eyelashes at her and she laughed.

He'd never seen her this open and relaxed before, granted it wasn't that much more open or relaxed really but for Emma it was huge.

"Fine, don't tell me" Emma shrugged like she could care less while she scrapped the bowl for the last of the soup and brought it to his mouth. If he knew Emma at all she'd be back to that question eventually.

"I was good at it - if they lied I knew and I always found who I was chasing" she told him as he opened his mouth and took the last of the soup from the offered spoon.

"Tell me more" Hook said after swallowing.

Emma felt a sudden tension in her shoulders as she realized she'd been saying a lot about herself. Much more then she'd ever intended to say to him. She put the bowl down

"You still hungry? There's more" she told him, nodding to the half empty thermos.

He shook his head, waving the offer off.

Hook almost saw the walls rise up after he spoke and was inwardly cursing, why was the guard coming up now?

He tried to prompt her to continue - she took another route out of the topic.

"I have another story actually" she told him, smiling sweetly.

_Oh boy _Hook thought.

"Once upon a time a girl named Emma got sick and a pirate came and looked after her" she began, almost sincerely. Ok, not the direction he'd thought this was headed, why were the hairs on the back of his neck standing up?

"And when she was all better - he took his shirt off and pranced outside to where her parents were just arriving" she glared at him.

And there it was

"They were of course mortified as he skipped off without any explanation and a host of innuendo trailing after him, they immediately jumped to the conclusion their daughter had just banged Captain Hook - a sentence I never ever thought I'd have to say in my life by the way" she informed him.

"Then they tried to give her the talk"

Hook's eyes widened

"Yeah - that one. So just thought I'd warn you - vengeance will be mine" she said rather casually, like she was telling him she'd be picking up some dry cleaning later.

Hook just stared at her for a minute.

"Noted" he answered at last, trying to appear unaffected.

"Good" she said, giving him a version of the impish smile he often wore before he went into full shit disturber mode.

Hook faked a cough, as if to remind her she was swearing vengeance on a sick man.

"Yeah yeah, I'll wait till you're back to full strength" she said, that playful note back in her voice.

"Lucky for you I like a fair fight" she said reaching forward to gently place her hand on his brow.

"The chills and sweat are gone" she told him "I think this may be the quickest I've seen a flu retreat"

She pulled her hand back but he gently encircled his fingers around her wrist and caught her for the second time that night.

Emma complete expected him to do something flirty and annoying but refrained from puling her hand from his grip when she saw how sincere his expression was.

Slowly he pulled her hand forward and gently placed it over his heart.

There was something very, very familiar about the gesture and somehow it was very… intimate.

Hook watched her face carefully. When she didn't pull away he spoke.

"Because of you I suspect" he said, voice still rough and husky and giving her a sincere smile at last.

For a second, a real second he saw he'd touched something in Emma.

It was both a triumph and a mistake - because that's when he saw she was afraid.

Emma was very suddenly trying to swallow past the thudding of her heart in her throat - what was going on?

"I … I should go" Emma said pulling her hand back and getting to her feet.

Like that the walls had come back up and she was barely able to fight the urge to flee.

"I need to get more wood for the fire" she lied

Hook reached for her but she flinched back from him now - he'd hit her flight response and now she was taking flight.

"Emma" he tried, almost making him start a coughing fit - but she was already heading for the door.

He'd have got up and gone after her if he'd had the strength but alas he was still recovering and remained in the tussle of blankets by the fireplace.

She paused only briefly at the door at the sound of her name but didn't look back.

"I'll be back" she said, sounding as if she had to put effort into not sounding shaken before disappearing through the door, escaping his presence.

"Goddamnit" Hook mutter, wincing as his throat protested the overuse.

_Should have known better _he thought, starring after her.

...

**Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think - it's always appreciated and it really makes my day :) Have a great one!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello - I know I haven't undated in awhile but I've been very busy packing and moving - I hope I can get to the next chapter in the near future, I'll do what I can - enjoy!**

**... **

The truth was Emma hadn't really gone anywhere, she'd basically stopped fleeing as soon as she walked out onto the deck of his ship, taking in a deep breath and looking up at the sky.

_When you wish upon a star…_

The line came to her seemingly from nowhere as she admired the sky that was beginning to blue with the first early morning light. One of her foster sisters that she'd known for all of a week had told her stars were fairies, that's why you wished on them - well she'd met actual fairies in this small town so who was she to laugh at that now…

"Wish I knew what the hell to do" she told them sighing.

"Any advice oh infinite cosmos fairies?"

The stars merely twinkled as they slowly faded under the rays of the coming dawn.

"… Nothing. Really?" she deadpanned as if she had expected them to answer.

"Well thanks for the guidance you shiny bitches" she muttered, pulling her phone from her pocket and dialling. She pressed the phone to her ear and hoped to god she didn't get voice mail.

* * *

Hook coughed, wincing. What was taking her so long? Did she really think she could hide out there forever? And yes he knew she was still out there, _hiding_ from him.

He'd only wait so long - then he'd go after her, especially now that the soup had restored some of his strength to him.

Because his Swan was gravely mistaken if she thought he'd just lay here forever and wait for her to fortify those walls _and then _come back - it wasn't in a pirates nature to let things lie. He coughed more and grimaced as the action hurt his throat.

He saw the little bottle of cough syrup Emma had brought with her and tilted his head curiously - that was the stuff she'd made him drink to make it better right?

He leaned forward and scooped it off the floor looking at it. Apparently it'd made him act a bit strange.

Well maybe he'd drink a little, just take the edge off and chase it with something…

* * *

"_You're hearing Red, if you're lucky you'll see it too, till then leave me a message!"_ a chipper voice said precursor to the beep that signalled her to start talking.

"Damnit Ruby - the one night your phone is not surgically attached to your hand" Emma snapped into the receiver. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"Oh well, not much going on - just on the Jolly Roger playing nurse to Hook - before you even think it, no, not that kind of nurse you perv - call me."

Emma hung up and managed half a smile - that message would literally make Ruby's head explode - funny in it's own right.

Feeling a little less shook by whatever had happened in the cabin with Hook Emma

Turned back to walk back to the cabin. She didn't go back in right away, for a bit she hung outside the door feeling like a coward - and just a bit of a creep.

She secretly hoped he'd be asleep when she opened the door to look in on him, but she knew that the chance of her luck being that good was about as good as a snowballs chance of lasting an eternity in hell.

She crossed her fingers anyways and slowly pushed the door open a hair's width wide to peer inside...

To see Hook still leaning against the desk she'd pulled near to prop him up against, taking a long pull of that bottle of rum she'd put aside - apparently not far enough.

She wouldn't have minded if she hadn't also spotted the open cough syrup bottle next to him.

"Hey!" Emma snapped, forgetting her fear and the entire incident as she strode into the room.

"Stop it! You can't drink alcohol after drinking cough syrup you idiot!" she scolded, kneeling across from him and trying to take the bottle away, but he pulled his hand back and held it out of her reach.

"Swan love, you'll find pirates do whatever they like" he said with a laugh.

Emma rolled her eyes and tried to hold him by his shoulder to reach the bottle in his hand.

"Though I always welcome you getting handsy with me love," he said, still managing to dangle the bottle out of her reach rather cheekily "and I share many things" he told her calmly, prompting Emma to notice his voice sounded remarkably better though still scratchy.

"Rum is not often one of them" he finished, managing to evade her swiping hand and take another swig.

"Hook -"

"Ooo, back to Hook are we?" he asked playfully, only the slightest hint of bitterness in his voice, holding the rum behind his back as she tried to go around him for it and failed.

"You are going to get all kinds of messed up if you mix rum with this stuff" she warned him, pointing at the open bottle of cough syrup. (In fact his eyes were already kind of glazed.)

Killian however barely spared the medicine a glance.

"I'll chance it" he told her with a shrug, pulling the bottle to his lap as if intending to take another drink of it.

"I won't - give me the bottle" said flatly, holding her hand out for it. After her hard work to get him better she wasn't going to just let him screw it up by doing something to make him ill again.

But he was a pirate, and be damned if she was going to get him to do anything he didn't want to do.

"No" he said simply with their gazes locked and just the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I wasn't asking" Emma growled.

Killian's expression turned to something Emma could only name as an 'I dare you look'

and Emma narrowed her eyes in what one may have described as a look that clearly said 'Challenge accepted.'

They starred at each other in silence for a moment, Hook holding the bottle while Emma kept her hand outstretched for it. The stillness didn't last long.

Emma snatched at it and missed just as Hook pulled it away and crammed it to his mouth, chugging as if he was never going to taste rum again in his life and determined to drink it all before she stole it from him.

With a frustrated yell Emma lunged at him and they both began wrestling for the bottle.

* * *

"It's always good to see you Red" Snow said, giving her old friend a hug

"Yeah, next time maybe we could all hang out - you, me and Emma. Have us a girls night" she said, "Not that I don't like seeing you Charming" Ruby assured David who waved it off with a smile.

"I get it Ruby - girl time" he said as Ruby seemed to feel something in her back pocket.

She pulled out her phone and smiled just as Snow heard the kettle squealing.

"Did I leave that damn thing on again" she muttered, going to the kitchen to turn it off.

"Damnit, someone called me. Oh it was Emma!" she said, "The one time I don't answer my phone" she said exasperatedly to David.

"weird - it really late, err, early?" David laughed "we got waaaaaay carried away talking" he said with a yawn.

"28 years of catching up can do that" she shrugged.

"Oh good she left a message" Ruby said looking at her inbox.

"What do you think she wants?" David asked curiously

"Here I'll just put it on speaker…"

* * *

They were actual, rolling on the floor, hand slapping, grappling in the nest of blankets - spilling sloshes of rum everywhere. She was pretty sure at one point he pulled her hair and she definitely face-palmed him at least once. In the end Emma finally yanked the bottle out of his hands and held it high over her head in triumph as Hook lay under her.

"You're certainly feeling better" she huffed "for an idiot"

"I don't like you" he said petulantly, sounding like he was five and looking a tad drunk.

Emma noticed the bottle was empty as she held it and sighed, looking down to see him grinning up at her.

"Laugh it up cabin boy, I hope you puke"

It was right about then she finally realized why he was smiling - she was straddling him.

"Save a horse ride a pirate" he said lecherously, hand resting on her hip.

Her face went bright red as she reached down to remove his hand.

However he was two steps ahead of her and bucked his hips while rolling - ending up with her under him.

"Look at you, all back to strength" she said, trying to cover the fact that her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"Thanks to you" he said, face inching slowly closer and closer to hers.

"How can I repay my lady?" he whispered

If he thought he was going to back her down with this crap this time he was oh so wrong.

She'd move back first when hell froze over - see how long that snowball lasted then!

Why was her stomach full of butterflies?

"Actually in my books we're even" she said only barely hiding the waver in her voice, trying to glare at him but ended up just staring at his mouth.

"Get off me" she ordered

"You could push me off quite easily" he assured her "after all I'm not at full strength just yet lass"

His face was inching closer to hers still, leaving an alarmingly small distance between their lips. They must be too close to the fire because she was feeling really… warm.

"You always trying to get on top of me is getting really old" she said trying to sound exasperated, but the tremble in her voice was giving her away.

"How else am I to hold you?" he asked, eyes piercing hers as his lips hovered over hers.

She should move, she should shove him off.

So why wasn't she?

"Emma" he murmured, his lips brushed hers as he said her name, eyes half closed and his breath smelling like a pleasant mixture of rum and grapes.

Emma's eyes almost closed then too, because the hell with it. _The hell with it all _she thought. Then she hesitantly closed that space of a half a breath between them and pressed her lips to his.

It was a rather gentle kiss, his lips were soft, warmth tingled through the light touch as her heart beat in her throat…

And then he ruined it by going limp and crashing on top of her, drawing a squeal out of her throat as he collapsed and pinned her under him - the entire situation punctuated by his soft snore.

It seemed that copious amount of rum and cough syrup had hit him all at once.

The lidded gaze she'd assumed was lust was actually the druggy haze he'd drunk himself into.

"Killian" she wheezed, trying to shift him. He limply refused to help her, breathing peacefully in his drugged up sleep.

Emma huffed and puffed as she tried to shift him unsuccessfully before stopping to pant for air.

"Jesus you're heavy" she panted, his head once again in the nook between her shoulders and under her chin.

This was so unbelievably awkward.

Thank God no one was here to see-

The cabin door slammed open and Emma was able to lift her head just enough to see David standing in the doorway.

And he was staring wide eyed at her, laying in a pile of blankets by a roaring fire, an empty bottle of rum next to them both - with him on top of her like he was necking instead of unconscious.

"I hate you" Emma whispered with her eyes rolled up to the heavens.

**...**

**cliff hanger!? blame the cosmos fairies! Also I really love Ruby, she just seems like the perfect best friend for Emma in my mind - have a good one guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright! I know you've all been waiting FOREVER for this update, just want to say thank you for the patience! So without further ado - the conclusion to this story!**

**...**

David was across the room so fast she barely had time to take a breath to explain.

Suddenly Killian's crushing weight was just gone and Emma was scrambling to get some words out before David could start beating Hook like he owed him money.

Or you know, just tried to bang his daughter.

"David wait!" Emma gasped, scrambling out of the blankets and to her feet.

She could tell David had sort of expected Hook to stay on his feet when he dragged him up because he'd let him go to get a better wind up on the hay-maker he was about to deliver and Hook had limply hit the floor with a hard thud that made Emma wince - that would probably hurt later.

David was momentarily stunned that his opponent had collapse before he even hit him. The fact that he wasn't moving to kill Hook didn't matter though because Emma was already hurdling at her father. So at this point it may have been needless, but she still ended up tackling him to the floor as if it were her one job in life.

"Ow" David croaked as they both lay on the floor.

"What are you doing here!?" Emma demanded

"What are _you_ doing here!" David shot back as Emma sat up.

"I asked you first" Emma retorted

"I'm your father, I ask the questions!" David countered sitting up himself and pointing an authoritative finger at her.

"It's none of your business David" Emma hissed slapping his hand away.

"Oh, forgive my being concerned when I catch a pirate trying to get his Jolly Rogers off with my daughter" David all but snapped.

"His WHAT!?"

Hook continued snoring.

Both Emma and David looked at the unconscious pirate in question and sighed in unison.

"Why is he passed out?" David asked at last, anger subsiding with confusion.

"Because he's a stubborn jackass, he was drinking cough syrup and rum and we got into a fight for the bottle and ended up like that when he passed out on top of me" Emma explained "He's sick - that's why I'm here" she finished, deciding she sort of owed him at least that much since he'd rushed over here to defend her honour. Actually now that she thought about that...

"How did you even know I was here?" she asked

"Ruby-"

"What!? Oh she is one dead wolf!" Emma swore lividly.

"Easy Emma, she didn't know-"

"Nope - silence!" she said, interrupting him and holding up a hand to halt his excuse on her behalf.

"She's going on my vengeance list - yes I now have a list" she told him at his questioning expression as she got to her feet and helped pull him up.

"Listen David, it's really sweet you came to see if I was ok," Emma said putting her hand on his shoulder "It's even kind of cute how you went papa wolf there for a second - but I can handle Hook" she said with a smile "Relax"

Unexpectedly he pulled her into a hug then.

"Oh - ok" Emma laughed with surprise, hugging him back after a moment.

"Dad's worry, its kinda our thing" he told her before pulling back to look at her.

"I've gotta stay" she told him "he's still not 100% and I sort of owe him"

He glared in Hook's direction, "I still don't like him" he told her

"I know" she said walking him to the door "you don't have too" she shrugged.

He glowered once more over his shoulder at Hook laying on the floor where he'd dropped him and then back to Emma with a friendlier expression.

"Call me and your mother later ok?"

"Scouts honour" she promised with a salute. She closed the door behind David and sighed, looking to Killian's... 'improvised' sleeping spot.

"It amazes me how you stir up so much shit and you're not even awake" Emma marvelled aloud.

Hook murmured something unintelligible before rolling over. Emma decided she should probably get him back to the little spot she'd made him, rolling him back into the blanket and wrapping him up to keep him warm. He woke a little while she was doing so, sure - he could hit the floor and keep sawing logs but she rolls him into soft blankets and he comes too… well, sorta.

"You're pretty" he mumbled with a crooked grin.

"And you're messed up" she told him, examining his hazy eyes.

Suddenly she noticed that he had started to look more than a little green around the gills, pulling back that haze.

"Don't. You. _Dare_"

"Swan" he said - it was all he needed to say as color drained out of his face.

"Outsideoutsideoutside!" Emma tried to drag him up to his feet but he shook his head

"No time" he wheezed.

Emma looked around frantically before she saw something she could use. She dumped the plastic bag with her supplies in it out on the floor and put his head in it just as he started to toss his cookies and spilled his stomach contents into it.

"Yeah, I don't even feel sorry for you" she told him shaking her head while he heaved.

Finally he stopped, pulling his head up and wiping a shaky hand across his mouth.

"Here" Emma said, pouring him a cup of water and handing it to him. He sipped slowly, blinking a bit excessively to clear his eyes of tears from heaving.

"So - what have we learned?" Emma asked in a sing song voice.

"The price of victory" Hook mumbled stubbornly, finishing off the glass she poured him in one go. Emma took the cup from him and put it back on the floor.

"The price of being a tool" she corrected. She tied up the bag and dropped it outside the cabin door. That small trek was enough time for Hook to pass out once more.

"I wish I could sleep like that" Emma sighed, watching him breathe peacefully.

She gave him a quick once over - He was back to a normal temperature, he had gained a healthy amount of colour, his breathing was normal, hell even his lips looked fine. Looking at his lips however cause her to flash back to kissing them and she was suddenly flustered. Aside from the fact that he'd put himself into a coma he was actually doing very well, his voice had even sounded much better and if he was still coughing after that insane cocktail he'd forced down his own throat and been forced to purge she'd proclaim it a super bug. So, satisfied he'd not only live but make a full recovery she went back to sitting by his side, looking into the fire and sporadically checking to make sure any changes were for the better.

The sun was coming up well and truly now, climbing into the sky and bringing and end to the night. Killian was peacefully sleeping and it was strangely… calming seeing him so relaxed. In fact once or twice she had to give her head a shake to re-open her own eyes.

She was entertaining the idea of just laying down with him and catching a few-

Whoa. She must have been a lot more tired then she thought.

Because she'd have to be to consider lying down with Killian and snuggling, wouldn't she? She found herself staring down at him, wearing half a smile, reaching forward to stroke his hair like she had earlier. She pulled her hand back - she had to stop doing that she was getting way to touchy feely with him.

_I don't mind love, just don't be afraid to you know, really get into it_ she heard his phantom voice say in her head, imagining how he'd wink at her. Good god she was making flirty innuendo _for_ him - she'd been hanging out with him too long.

But like she'd told charming she couldn't leave him yet, and if she were to be completely honest with herself (which she rarely ever was when it concerned her pirate) she didn't really want to leave yet anyway's. She needed to find something to entertain herself for a bit longer until she was 100% sure he was going to be ok. Her eyes scanned the pirates quarters, half hoping she could find something embarrassing that she could mercilessly hound him with in retribution for the things he'd done. She got up and walked around so she could stretch her legs, wandering about and finding nothing of any particular interest - gold coins, some sculptures, maps-

Oh.

Oh this was so much better than blackmail material she though reaching down to pluck the item off the desk. She smiled impishly as she pulled the cap off the end of the permanent black marker before looking back to the sleeping Captain.

"I'm going to enjoy this waaaaay more than I should" she admitted to herself, walking over to where Hook lay…

* * *

When Hook managed to drag himself out of his self induced coma he was amazed by how much better he felt. His throat, though a bit scratchy was feeling remarkably better - his cough had all but vanished, he felt stronger and his head was clear. His breath probably could have killed someone though if he were to judge by the taste in his mouth.

Swan was most certainly right - she would have made a fantastic nurse.

_In a little nurse outfit_… he thought to himself grinning.

Speaking of his Swan, where was she?

He looked around but his blonde fire cracker was nowhere to be seen. It was just his usual empty quarters, only embers within the fireplace. That's when he saw there was a piece of paper sticking to his chest. He peeled it off and read the short little note telling him to meet her at the diner.

"What are you up to love?" he wondered with a smirk.

He got ready, realizing how much he'd recovered by how good he continued to feel while he gargled something this world called 'scope' (he didn't get it) and spit it into the fireplace to squash the last embers out. He then changed into some of his clean clothes, reattached his hook and made his way into town. He strode into the town grinning, still awed by how much _better_ he felt and curious as to why she was inviting him to breakfast - perhaps he'd gotten to her at last? Was this breakfast to be a meal of his victory in wooing her?

He walked past a few ladies out for a morning stroll, feeling in high spirits he gave his best come hither smile and a nod of his head "ladies" he said smoothly. Instead of getting the usual blushes and giggles he was so used to the two women took one look at him and bust out laughing. His expression knotted up in confusion as the two women kept on their way, laughter trailing behind them.

_What had that been about?_ He wondered looking after them.

He was willing to brush it off as him running across a couple of strange lass's however all his greetings or simply his presence was having much the same effect on everyone, either muffled giggles or all out guff's of laughter. By the time he'd arrived at the diner Hook was both baffled and cross - what exactly was so bloody amusing to everyone? Ruby, who was carrying two plates of food, took one look at him and let her jaw drop - both plates slipping out of her hands and hitting the floor with a loud crash before she started to laugh so hard she snorted once or twice.

"Oh god" she wheezed between fits of laughter "Hook what the hell-" she couldn't even finish the question, looking as if she was trying to get a breath.

Hook had no idea how to react. In his world few had dared laugh at him and those few had paid greatly for it. But now the whole town was laughing and he couldn't very well threaten the lives of an entire town (but oh how he _wished_ he could)

So he found himself very much sounding like a child when he demanded Ruby "Stop it!"

Which if possibly only made her laugh that much harder. But it was the sound of a more familiar laugh that got his attention and made him look to a booth behind him by the door to see Emma, a wicked grin curling her lips of the like he'd never seen her wear raised a cup to him in salute as she took a sip with a wink. He was about to approach her but Ruby was trying to hand him something still lost in a fit of giggling. He carefully took the offered object from her, a compact mirror, and opened it.

His reflection provided a horrifying clarity on everyone's behaviour. His handsome face had been vandalized with black marker. Someone had drawn a big black curly moustache above his lip, filled in the space between his eyebrows to give the illusion of a unibrow. Also one eye had been coloured in black with what he guess was two little straps to make it look like an eye patch and the word "Aaarrrrgggg!" running across his forehead.

And to top it off? A little swan had been drawn on his chin. And she'd tricked him into walking out in public by inviting him here - Oh she would pay _dearly_ for this.

"EMMA!" he yelled, turning lividly to where she'd been sitting a moment before.

Only to see the spot empty with her still steaming cocoa and the door just slamming shut, laughter still floating behind her.

"YEAH YOU BETTER RUN SWAN!" he yelled after her.

...

**I love this ship, I'm never disembarking! - everyone is so nice :D thank you for reading and much luvs to those who review! Seriously reviews are like crack, writers LOVE them! Have a great week guys!**


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